


Reentry

by MisterEAnon



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:24:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MisterEAnon/pseuds/MisterEAnon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Thematic Thursday. Theme: Drunk</p><p>It's been years since he left her. When she falls asleep watching him on the news, she doesn't expect him to be the one to wake her up the next day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reentry

Honey bought in bulk.

This was partially out of necessity, and partly out of convenience. A lot of the supplies for the bunker tended be sold only in bulk. And, of course, it was easier to stock up and never venture out of the bunker.

One of the things she bought in bulk was beer. Because there was no point hunkering down in the bunker if you didn't want to live, right?

She didn't drink often. But when she did… Well, there was no one around to tell her she had had enough, that was for sure.

She lied on one of her preferred couches, flicking her sixth empty can at the TV. It bounced off, entirely failing to affect the show being played there. It was the only source of light in the otherwise dark bunker.

“--Happy to announce the ZPD's very first fox officer, a mammal instrumental in solving the Nighthowler Case--”

She rolled over, idly cursing her badger-given resilience, and the way it made getting wasted so much harder. She tuned out the TV, musing on her thoughts instead. She didn't really need to hear it. The whole city had been talking about it, after all.

When she first heard the news, she couldn't believe it. Nick was okay. He'd turned his life around. He'd even uncovered part of the vast sheep conspiracy.

Now?

Well, now she couldn't believe it for other reasons.

She'd worried about Nick. A lot. Back in the day, he'd try to withdraw into himself, pretend he didn't care about anything, not let anyone see they got to him.

She used to sort out that nonsense by picking him off the ground and hugging him until he got it through his thick skull that people did, in fact, care about him.

That they were there for him.

She usually insisted he stayed for the night with her after an episode like that.

He usually agreed, in the end.

Then, he moved on. Cut ties.

There was no one left to see him as anything more then a shifty fox, because he'd cut her out of his life. Finnick didn't really count- He loved conning people out of their money. Loved being a shifty fox.

So, she'd worried about him.

About the fox she loved--

As a friend! (She had to tell herself that, every time.)

And now, there he was. On TV, a hero of the city, doing more to usurp the ewes then she ever had.

She didn't know how to feel. Some part of her was grateful that he was fine, after all. But a bigger part of her felt lost.

Nick didn't need her anymore. That much was obvious.

So who did?

Her fellow true believers? Hell, she would barely be needed for that, anymore. Now that the Bellwether case had been blown wide open, everyone would see the truth. It was everything she'd ever wanted.

So why did the idea make her feel so empty?

She reached for the remote. She didn't really have the enthusiasm to get wasted anymore.

She just wanted to sleep and forget her feelings for one more night.

( * * * )

Ugh. Too bright. Nick always turned on the main lights instead of just the mood lighting. It's like he wasn't even nocturnal, honestly.

“Nick, you know I hate that,” she mumbled sleepily, reaching for the covers so she could block out the light and go back to bed.

“I know, but I didn't want you to wake up to me looming over you in the dark.”

She sleepily flipped him off, rolling over so her muzzle was pressed against the back of the couch.

...Wait.

She slowly rolled back over and sat up. There he was, dressed in his casual clothes- As casual as he could get with that tie he insisted on wearing everywhere.

“Hey, Honey. I'm home.”

She strongly considered flipping him off a second time.

( * * * )

She didn't quite forgive him yet.

But he let her sleep in, and brought her coffee when she did decide to get up. So she'd almost forgiven him. Almost.

She grumbled into her coffee. She didn't quite have a hangover, but there was still a mild tinge of what could have been one, had she been properly motivated last night to keep going. “I guess my first question is how you got in.”

“I still remember the pass-code to the secret entrance.”

The secret entrance was the only entrance. The front door was a fake. Coming in while she was sleeping would probably be intensely rude, if she minded. But she didn't, and he knew that.

She idly scratched herself. She was only wearing a pair of boxers. Nick averted his eyes.

She wasn't sure why. He used to do the opposite back in the day.

“Okay. So why are you back?” She fished the spoon out of her coffee mug and pointed it at him accusingly. “You, and I quote, “Didn't need to run with me anymore.”

He winced. “Ooh, you… Remember.”

“Yeah.”

“Like, the exact words.”

“Yyyeah.”

“Alright, look. I was--”

“Young, and stupid, and you wanted to pull away from me before I had a chance to hurt you.”

He paused, raised a claw, then shut his muzzle and just stared at her.

“I know you. And I… I've thought about it a lot.”

He winced again. Possibly even harder. “I never--”

“I know. You still did.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “You really know how to make this easy, don't you,” he mumbled. “Is there anything you DON'T already know? Might save me some time.”

“Well, I don't know who the speciesist hick you've been hanging around with is.”

He took a sip of his own coffee. “You caught Judy's interview, too.” It wasn't a question.

“Biological cause my ass,” replied the grumpy predator. She downed her coffee in one go, setting down the empty mug. “Out of all the people mister “Be the fox the world sees me as” Wilde would consort with, someone like her wouldn't be my first guess.”

He apparently felt obligated to defend her- What were they, partners now? Both cops or something? “She's really not that bad. I mean, yes, she's… She's definitely a little speciesist. But she's trying not to be.”

She shuffled over back to the couch she'd slept on. “Yeah, sure. That's not the big question, and you know it.”

He did. He obliged her anyway, padding over to sit next to her as she slumped down on it. “What is?”

She gave him a dull look. “Why'd you come back?”

He took a deep breath. “To apologize.”

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. “I'm listening.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm not really good at apologies. I'm more the 'Gone by the time you notice' kind of guy. But… Well, recently, I learned that I really could be more then just what everyone expected a fox to be. And, somehow, that makes the way I treated you feel even worse. So I needed to come apologize.” He gave a small smile. “As terrible as I am at it.”

She mused for a few seconds.

“It's her, isn't it.”

His ears folded down. “What?”

“Her. The rabbit. She's the one who changed you, right? The one who set you straight and…” She gestured inarticulately with a paw. “Made you enough of a man to own up to old mistakes.”

“...Yes,” he admit. “She's like that.”

She eyed him warily. “You're not dating her, right?”

He stared at her. “What? No! Of course not! I mean, if she--” He flushed, evidently not having expected this. “No, no I'm not.”

He barely paused at all. But she knew him enough to read him clearly.

“Good. This won't be awkward, then.”

“Awk-”

She pounced.

They kissed.

And at some point, they managed to get to the bed, though later on she could never quite recall when.

( * * * )

“That was… Something,” Nick finally said, panting heavily. His top half was sweaty.

His bottom half was sticky.

“That was what you get for leaving and letting me get so pent up,” she rumbled with no heat to her voice.

He sat up in bed. “You mean--”

“Yeah. You were the only one I trusted enough for that- For this.”

He looked away. “Wow. I actually feel worse now than when I apologized. Even after incredible sex, too.”

She pulled him close, kissing his nose. She'd figured out what was going on. It was obvious from the way he'd acted around her. The way he spoke about the bunny.

His bunny. And hell, she was fine with it, even if he didn't seem like he'd caught on yet. Boys.

“Nick.”

His tail swayed with happiness at the kiss, though his tone was still wary. “...Yeah?”

“When the bunny makes her move, tell her I wouldn't mind sharing. She seems good for you.”

Nick was about to ask her what she meant.  
Honey initiated round two with a kiss, and suddenly he cared considerably less then he did before.


End file.
